6. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Green) Link to this
to the Minister for Climate Change Issues
Does he agree with United States President Barack Obama, who said “the threat from climate change is serious, it is urgent, and it is growing. Our generation’s response to this challenge will be judged by history;” and if so, will the Prime Minister be telling world leaders in New York that a conditional 10 percent emissions reduction target is a sufficient response to this challenge?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Climate Change Issues) Link to this
Yes. The position that New Zealand has tabled in the United Nations negotiation is considerably more ambitious than that proposed by President Obama’s administration. Its proposal is for a 4 percent reduction from 1990 levels; our proposal of a 10 to 20 percent reduction from 1990 levels is significantly greater than that.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
What will the Prime Minister be telling world leaders that his Government has done to reduce climate change emissions in New Zealand since it was elected; and how will his list compare with President Obama’s list in his speech today, setting out a doubling of generation from renewable energy in 3 years, financial incentives for solar photovoltaic panels and batteries for hybrid vehicles, billions of dollars to cut energy waste and energy bills in buildings, tough new fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles, and the phasing out of subsidies to the fossil fuel industry?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
This Government has a very clear programme around emissions. Let me go through some of the initiatives. More solar water heaters have been installed in the last 10 months than were installed in the entire period of the previous Government. If we look at road-user charges, we see that from 1 October there will be an exemption for electric cars that enter New Zealand. The big changes we have made to the Resource Management Act will have us building renewable energy stations, whereas over the course of the previous Government we saw a 120 percent increase in emissions from the electricity sector. The changes we are making to the emissions trading scheme will make it workable and realistic. Let me give another example. On 1 July next year the aluminium smelter in Bluff will become the very first smelter out of 168 in the world to face a price for its emissions.
Dr Cam CalderHow does the Government believe New Zealand can best make a global contribution to the problem of climate change?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
New Zealand’s emissions are just 0.2 percent of the world’s emissions and they are not globally significant, although we do need to do our share in reducing them. The area in which we can make a real difference is by tapping into the expertise of our considerable agricultural research capacity in order to reduce pastoral farming emissions. That is why David Carter has taken a lead on a new global initiative in this area, which the Prime Minister announced today in New York.
David GarrettDoes the Minister stand by his statement yesterday that “If we can settle our emissions trading scheme by December, we will be at the front end of international action on climate change, and will actually have the most comprehensive emissions trading scheme of any country in the world.”; if so, how is that in line with the policy that John Key endorsed that New Zealand should be a fast follower on climate change, rather than a world leader?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
National campaigned on a policy of establishing a moderated emissions trading scheme, and the changes that we have announced are absolutely consistent with that approach. The emissions trading scheme that will come into effect next year will be more comprehensive than that of many countries, because it is our view that we need to get a price on carbon in order to incentivise more energy-efficient behaviour.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was quite specific. It asked whether the Minister stood by a statement that was made yesterday, which I then gave him. We had an answer that was a précis of the changes to the emissions trading scheme.
Mr SPEAKERI think that if the honourable member reflects on his question, he will see that it really sought an opinion. With questions that seek opinions, I cannot ask for very precise answers.
What advice has the Minister received from officials on the credibility of the more ambitious “40 percent by 2020” climate change goals proposed by the Green Party?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
Officials have advised me that the Green Party’s plan is unlikely to result in the emissions reductions that the party claims it would, and that it is likely to involve significantly higher costs than those that it has stated. Officials rate only two of the nine initiatives proposed by the Green Party as being achievable. Two of those are initiatives that the Government is doing, five are rated as not being cost-effective, and two—
Charles ChauvelI raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I wonder whether the House could be advised as to what ministerial responsibility the Minister has for Green Party policy.
I do not need assistance. The reason why it was relevant is that the Minister was describing official advice he had received on the matter in consideration of the issues to do with climate change. I was listening very carefully, and if he had personally launched into a criticism of Green Party policy I believe that would have been out of order. But I see describing the official advice he had received on the issues as being in order.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
Is the Minister confirming that other than weakening the existing emissions trading scheme and delaying the date by which the aluminium smelter will take responsibility for its emissions, he really has no plans for reducing emissions within New Zealand: no fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles, which would save 3 million tonnes of emissions, no management of indigenous forests, which could save 10 million tonnes, no phase-out of coal-fired power stations, saving 4 million tonnes, or anything else in the Greens’ thoroughly thought-out plan to reach a minus 40 percent target?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
I would only hope that the plan was thoroughly thought out. The advice I have received from officials is that it has holes that are so large we could drive a whole tractor through them. I would be happy to table the report, because it simply shows how poorly the Green Party has applied its mind to the important challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Minister made it clear that he would be happy to table that report. I require it to be tabled.
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
I seek leave to table the report from the Ministry for the Environment on the Green Party’s emissions reduction plan.